Mad for Nothing
by Marbo
Summary: What happens to Cherry during their first real big argument? A/N: This is semi-AU, set in the future in their early 20s. Based on the song 'Mad' by Ne-Yo.


_**Author's Note:** So this is a sort of AU future!Cherry fanfic. They're in their early 20s and Mike was staying over at Rachel's place. The song is 'Mad' by Ne-Yo. This is the first thing I'll have published here so go easy on me? Haha._

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing to do with Glee or Ne-Yo and his music._

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><p><em>Both of us are mad for<br>__Nothing, fighting for  
><em>_Nothing, crying for  
><em>_Nothing, (whoa)  
><em>_But we won't let it go for  
><em>_Nothing, no not for  
><em>_Nothing, this should be  
><em>_Nothing..._

Day five. Mike hadn't slept properly ever since their biggest argument to date. What was most awkward was where he could place himself. They were staying at Rachel's apartment and everything there just screamed _Rachel_ at him. From the neat cream wallpaper with black décor to the matching curtains, from the magnets on the fridge even to the color of the toaster. This was the loneliest he had felt since dating Rachel.

_Oh baby, I know sometimes it's gonna rain  
><em>_But baby, can we make up now?  
><em>_'Cause I can't sleep through the pain  
><em>_Can't sleep through the pain  
><em>_Girl, I don't wanna go to bed mad at you  
><em>_And I don't want you to go to bed mad at me  
><em>_No, I don't wanna go to bed mad at you  
><em>_And I don't want you to go to bed mad at me  
><em>_Oh no no no_

He awoke in the middle of the night and looked over at her side. He usually loved to watch Rachel sleeping but for these past few nights the look on her face was one of anguish and discomfort, even when she was asleep. Their distance in the same bed repulsed him and he couldn't bear to stay in it any longer. He sat up in the bed, threw on the pair of jeans and the checked shirt he had on yesterday, picked up his keys, wallet, cigarette packet & lighter and walked out the door without looking back.

They hadn't spoken since day three and it hurt him to the core not to hear her voice when she says that sleepy _"Morning…"_ or when she reminds him to brush for at least two minutes for clean and healthy teeth or even her nags for him to go shopping with her. Rachel had spent the last two days at her sister's place in the day and Mike either remained in the apartment or went wondering around the quiet streets of Lima by himself.

On this particular November night he walked out of the apartment building and decided to simply walk, let his feet take him where they wanted to take him. The cold was beginning to attack at his body, robbing it of his warmth; somehow this made him feel a bit better, numb. Everything seemed warped in the dim glow of the streetlights but Mike disregarded it down to the change of scenery he took a cigarette out of the packet and lit it with cold, shaky hands. He inhaled the distantly familiar husky taste, allowing it to fill his lungs before drawing out the exhale as the smoke filled his eyes before him.

He walked for a while longer and for some reason his feet led him to a children's park Rachel had taken him to the first week he had come to Lima to stay. They went in the middle of the night then too, playing like children themselves on the tiny swings, roundabout and miniscule slide. It was innocent fun and Mike felt happy with her.

He leant against the metal railing that separated the road and children's park and heaved a sigh, his breath coming out as a light mist not from the cigarette but the freezing cold air. He looked down the empty park and felt himself choking up a little as he thought about what a complete fool he had been.

_And it gets me upset  
><em>_Girl when you're constantly accusing  
><em>_Asking questions like you already know  
><em>_We're fighting this war  
><em>_Baby when both of us are losing  
><em>_This ain't the way that love is supposed to go  
><em>_Whoa, what happened to workin' it out?  
><em>_We've fall into this place  
><em>_Where you ain't backing down and I ain't backing down  
><em>_So what the hell do we do now?_

Mike had somehow been conditioned by his ex-girlfriend to think that every male that went near Rachel was automatically hitting on her. That was how the argument started. When they were both on a dinner date at an Italian restaurant called Breadstix they bumped into one of Rachel's old classmates in high school. They hugged and joked for a while, leaving Mike quite awkward even though she had introduced him to her classmate. When they finished with another tighter embrace as the guy left Mike leant in and asked her that stupid question – "Does that guy like you?" If it weren't for Rachel's exasperated sigh and explanation he would have never realized that he had done it before too.

"No, Mike. Not every single guy I talk to is competition okay?" she said impatiently.  
>"Competition?" Mike replied in slight disbelief, "I never said they were competition."<br>"Your facial expression usually says otherwise."  
>"…What facial expression?"<br>"You glare at every single male I interact with, Mike. You _even_ stared down my agent's sixty-four year old father when he gave me a friendly handshake!" she continued, getting more agitated.  
>"Wh-I didn't! Stop exaggerating things!"<br>"I'm not exaggerating, Mike! Do you know how much I need to distance myself from other guys now _just_ so I don't see your death glare? It's just…it's crap!"  
>"I don't have a death glare, Rachel! I just keep an eye out for you!"<br>"It's not about keeping an eye on me! You're keeping such a tight hold on me I don't think I can breathe anymore!" she stood up away from her seat, throwing her arms to her side as she half-yelled her last statement and walked out of the restaurant completely. Thankful that they hadn't ordered yet Mike hastily apologized to one of the waitresses and pelted after her only for them to argue all the way down the street, calming down slightly enough for them to agree that going home would be the wise thing to do but then restarting the argument again in the car and taking it to her apartment. That was the first night they slept in the same bed with no bodily contact at all.

_Oh baby, I know sometimes it's gonna rain  
><em>_But baby, can we make up now?  
><em>_'Cause I can't sleep through the pain  
><em>_Can't sleep through the pain  
><em>_Girl, I don't wanna go to bed mad at you  
><em>_And I don't want you to go to bed mad at me  
><em>_No, I don't wanna go to bed mad at you  
><em>_And I don't want you to go to bed mad at me  
><em>_Oh no no no_

Little did Mike know that Rachel hadn't slept at all that night, he felt and heard the rustles of Mike leaving the bed and heard the door close behind him. She sat up in her bed and bit her fingernail nervously, a long forgotten habit. She was worried about him and where he could possibly go at this time of night, she ran her fingers through her slightly messy hair and bit her bottom lip before deciding to go after him, it was a strange town for Mike and she wasn't prepared to let him venture alone even if she was indeed angry at him.

She followed him out in her clothes from yesterday too, putting on a woollen coat too to shield from the sharp November cold. She noticed Mike's coat still hanging on the coat hook and took it down, now even more concerned that he was outside with only a thin shirt on. She made her way outside and was at a loss as to where he could be, he didn't know that many places in Lima so she automatically made her way in the direction of the children's park they went to, hoping against hope that he'd be there.

_Oh, baby this love ain't gonna be perfect  
><em>_Perfect, perfect, oh oh  
><em>_And just how good it's gonna be  
><em>_We can fuss and we can fight  
><em>_Long as everything's all right between us  
><em>_Before we go to sleep  
><em>_Baby, we're gonna be happy_

The sky was beginning to lighten when Mike heard footsteps coming and tried to recollect himself as he wiped the tears away from below his eyes violent, definitely not wanting to look like a pussy in front of some stranger. He looked up at the source of the noise and to his surprise Rachel was making her way over to him in the distance, in her hands his winter coat.

His eyebrows furrowed in warning of tears that were threatening to arrive. He shook his head slightly to warn them away as he looked at her coming closer to him with every step.

Rachel felt a mixture of elation, frustration, agitation and relief at finally spotting Mike, she walked up to him steadily as her breath came out in misty intervals from the cold. Every step was agonizing, she was battling herself in her mind. Either she could silently give him his jacket and walk away or she could talk to him which had a high chance of them having yet another fight if they were both willing to be as stubborn as they had been for the past two days.

When she came into close proximity both were silent, they stood there for a while as they looked into each other's eyes. Mike looking for forgiveness and Rachel looking for remorse, both of them looking at anguish and sadness. She broke the silence by handing him his coat with a firm extended hand, letting go as soon as he took it tentatively into his arms. She took one final look into his eyes and turned to walk away.

"Rachel." Mike said his arm outstretched to wrap his fingers around her wrist. She could have easily forced him to let go but couldn't find it in herself to do so. Instead she sighed and turned back to face him, she was drained both mentally and physically and Mike could see it on her face. "I'm sorry." He said lamely, pleading with his eyes.  
>"Sorry for what?" she said quietly, her hand curling into a lose fist.<br>"Sorry for being such an overprotective jerk." He looked at the floor for the right words to say, "I didn't realize I was being that way…well…I-I did but I didn't know you'd take it like that. N-not that it's your fault in any way. I just…I'm sorry." He loosened his grip around her wrist and both their arms fell to their sides.  
>"I'm sorry too." She said finally after a long silence.<br>"_You're_…sorry?" he asked, confusedly.  
>"Yes. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overreacted like that, like you said in Breadstix. I have a tendency to be a bit of a drama queen." She looked up at him, realizing her own nature, even Kurt had mentioned it to her but she had overreacted with her best friend too, saying how she <em>never<em> overreacted.  
>"Of course not! You're right, I shouldn't act like this. You don't act weird when I talk to girls so I shouldn't to you. <em>I'm<em> the one who should be sorry." He said after shaking his head.  
>"But I should understand that you only do it because you care and that's all I can ask for out of my boyfriend. <em>I'm<em> sorry." She insisted.  
>"Stop it Rach, <em>I'm<em> sorry."  
>"No. <em>I'm<em> sorry."

They looked at each other, both equally stubborn in every single way and found themselves smiling and their smiles grew wider until they were both trying to stifle giggles then finally not being able to take it and laughing loudly, the sound of their voices warming the now cold dawn.

"Sometimes I think we're _too_ right for each other." Rachel said with a small smile, looking up.  
>"Maybe." He said simply before reaching out for her hand, entwining her fingers with his, "But if this were the case then you'd be into tacos a lot more than you are now." Mike grinned back, the corner of his eyes creasing in genuine happiness again.<p>

Rachel took the coat from his hands and opened it up before placing it over his shoulders. He took it from her and slid his arms in before reaching out for her hand again and pulling her into their first kiss in five days. So familiar was her lips on his, so comforting on his lips on hers that they were both lost in the moment for a while. When she pulled back there was a small frown on Rachel's face.

"…What?" Mike asked tentatively.  
>"I smell cigarettes." Rachel replied disapprovingly.<br>"One thing at a time?" he smiled an apologetic smile.  
>Rachel shook her head and poked his nose annoyed but affectionately. "Fine. But this is the next thing."<br>Mike groaned with a pout and nodded nonetheless, he knew it would be hard but yes, there definitely was something inside him that wanted to do anything to make her happy as cliché as that sounded. "So, where to now? Back to your apartment?"  
>Rachel shook her head and smiled, "I'm sure the drive-thru Taco Bell's still open."<p>

Mike kissed her cheek and was once again reminded why he _loved _Rachel so much.

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><p><em>Yes, you there. Leave me a comment and in return you will have metaphorical lovings. Yes? Yes. Good.<em>


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